


We Came and Went (a long and dusty road)

by amaresu



Series: Love and Ghosts [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Sparrow Hill Road - Seanan McGuire
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Gen, M/M, slice of (un)life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22897945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaresu/pseuds/amaresu
Summary: Steve prays, Mary works, Bucky has the food.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Love and Ghosts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/851184
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	We Came and Went (a long and dusty road)

It's hard to not be somewhat religious when you're dead. Clearly there is an afterlife, you may not understand it any better than you did when you were alive, but it was there and hard to deny. It's easy to be broadly agnostic, leave a tollway ticket for Danny when passing a shrine, participate in a Saint Celia celebration, dance a skeleton dance, or whatever passing fancy happens around you. The gods of the dead are many and as varied as their worshipers. Steve can honestly say that he only really found religion on the night he first found out Bucky was alive. A lot had happened that night, more than anyone else besides him knew. It was the closest he's ever come to leaving a lost soul by a roadway with no idea of the dangers or what to wait for, only Maria Stark's refusal to leave without her husband stopped him. 

Agnes, Lady of the Dusty Roads and Lost Byways is not the logical step from there, but Steve found her that night and he's made his private worship since. Agnes is not a popular deity, although much like many of the other Twilight gods people will leave something at an alter if they stumble across one. Although, it's generally a bad sign if you stumble across one by accident. They're placed at locations that are more tenuous then others, places that may not be there when you come back or turn around or if you walk down them. The ghost road equivalent of 'Here Be Monsters' written on the shoulders and dead ends of long forgotten highways instead of paper maps. He lays down the twig taken from a ghostly tumbleweed and bows his head, only then hearing the footsteps behind him. They stop far enough away to show respect, so he finishes his prayer before turning around. 

Mary is standing behind him, looking awkward and uncomfortable, when he turns around. Crossroad ghosts are not who he would expect to see at a shrine to Agnes, so he asks, "Mary?"

She smiles that gentle smile that can never have a hope of reaching her crossroad eyes, "Steve, sorry to bother you. Can we talk?"

"As long as we can walk at the same time," he gestures for her to accompany him as he heads down the road, back towards the more civilized portions of the Twilight roads. He can feel the faint hum that says 'Bucky, Bucky, Bucky' getting stronger as they walk and can't keep the smile off his face. 

Mary smiles like she knows what he's feeling, which she just might for all he knows, but then grows serious, "I'm here on official business."

He stops then because the Crossroads are never not a serious matter. He tries to keep the fear out of his voice because the Crossroads have the power to take away the most precious thing he has, "What?"

"Just a check in," Mary smiles at him gently. He's known her long enough to know she's trying to make this easy for him. "It's been over 20 years and you've only brought 3 people to the Crossroads. They just want confirmation that you're upholding your end."

The fear is replaced by anger, not at Mary and her half-embarrassed shrug, but at the Crossroads that rung the smallest possible concession from him and demanded so much, "The deal was I'd take anyone who asked, no questions asked and no warnings given." There was more to it, he couldn't do anything to convince someone to not visit the Crossroads, no warning stories, no rumors. "It's not my fault no one has asked to go. I'm supposed to take those who ask not go searching for people."

Mary smiles at him, as bright as any he's ever seen from her, "I just needed to hear you say it, to judge if you were still abiding by the deal."

She grabs his arm and keeps walking down the road, a small skip in her step, and Steve smiles to himself. Mary appreciates anyone willing to play rules lawyer with the Crossroads, even better if they win. He's not sure how she can tell that he's telling the truth, but he also doesn't know why he can smell an accident on the wind. These things happen when you're dead. They walk, arm in arm, down the road together. Mary's one of his oldest friends and it's good to spend time with her, but eventually the hum of 'Bucky' gets loud enough that he knows it's time to head to the daylight. It's a bit of a surprise when she comes with him, he doesn't often see her in the daylight. The living know what she is better than the dead do and she doesn't often risk it.

Stepping onto the blacktop next to one of America's ubiquitous corn fields, the sun beating down, is it's own kind of prayer. He takes a moment to confirm his normal outfit, white t-shirt and cargo pants, dog tags hanging around his neck. If they say Buchanan Barnes, James on them instead of his own name that's no one's business. Mary is wearing a completely impractical sundress and sandals, like she's on a beach somewhere instead of cornfields with the sun beating down. If he could feel the heat he's sure it would be coming from both sides, the cloudless sky above and the cracked and sealed blacktop below. As it stands there's only the perpetual coldness of death. He doesn't have a chance to say anything to Mary before she's pointing down the road, "I think you're ride is coming."

Looking over he can see the familiar red of Bucky's truck coming towards him, shining in the heat haze rising off the road. It's even on the right side of the road saving him from a quick run across. Mary laughs as he sticks out his thumb and he laughs with her, "It's part of the ritual. Hitchers need to hitch."

Her happy laughter gets a bit louder as she heads into the corn. He calls after her, "You should meet him sometime."

He can barely see her inbetween the stalks, "Some other time Steve." 

Then she's gone and Bucky is pulling up next to him, jumping out of the truck with a coat already in hand. Steve puts it on and lets himself enjoy the heat for a moment before accepting Bucky's hand and a kiss. Bucky leans back just enough to talk, his smile brighter than the sky, "I hoped I was going to run into you. I packed a picnic." 

The road feels like Iowa, there's sweat trickling down his back, and Bucky brought a picnic, "Thank Agnes for that." 

It's the first time Steve's ever said anything hinting at the gods of the dead in front of him. Questions about Agnes come too close to other questions, but Steve can't avoid them forever, that way leads to lonely roads. Bucky gives him a surprised look as they settle into the truck, "I wouldn't have pegged you for following the Dusty Roads."

"I'll tell you the story sometime," Steve says casually. Not today though, it's a story for pouring rain or the brisk air at the top of a Ferris wheel, not bright hot days with the road stretching out in front of them. 


End file.
